I’m a sucker for the trope enemies to lovers, and Ruthless Rival is the perfect example of it, however it’s mixed with second chance romance too. I know.. it’s the perfect combination, right?!

For me it was a surprise that this is a slow burn romantic story too. I’m not always into slow burn romance, but L. J. Shen wrote it so well, and she made an excellent job with the characterization.

I liked the layered storyline too, but I enjoyed the banter and the explosive chemistry between Arya and Christian the most. This kind of relationships are my favorite ones, I can’t get enough of them.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, but for the fans of the author, of course it’s a ‘must have’ one.

"I'll hold you if you fall."

At least he tries to believe a beautiful lie. LJ Shen has written an amazing beginning to what looks to be a three part series, introducing new characters such as Christian Miller and Arya Roth.

Christian who we meet as Nicholas, undergoes a dramatic character change due to the circumstances of life and the tragedy of wealth. Arya is an uptown girl who really believes in the good in people however is hit with a dose of reality when her time with Nicholas is changed forever. Both characters struggle with an animosity brought on by a mutual dilemma and the relationship that ensues is one of, if not the best, relationships Shen has given us yet. Christian and Arya are a pair who don't hesitate to plunge into a fire just to feel the burn of what is obviously building between them as "two thieves of pleasure".

This story is paced well and characters are developed beautifully in a story arc that leaves the reader aching for more. Excellent read.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Spice: 🌶🌶🌶

Angst: 💣💣💣 Plot: 📚📚📚📚

Cliffhanger? ❌️

Do I recommend? ✅️

Tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance

When Arya Roth was much younger, she became best friends with the maid's son. Their mutual love of reading made friendship easy, soon turning to more. She dared him to kiss her and as a result everything changed ending with him disappearing from her life. Twenty years later, Arya is a rising star as a publicist with her father being her most important account. When a former employee sues him, she's determined to prove he's not the monster they're making him out to be. Christian Miller is the lawyer opposing her father. Arya has no clue he happens to be the boy who kissed her so long ago. When the heart gets involved and she discovers his true identity, will love come first? Or family?

This was my first read by this author in quite some time and for the most part I enjoyed it. There were some places that didn't quite hold my attention thus leading to me skipping a few pages. The plot was addictive in other areas and I liked the characters. The story was a slow burn told in dual POVs with visits in past and present. I am definitely recommending this read. This is my honest opinion, freely given.

Ahhh Christian… this guy oozes masculinity and is so sure of himself, commanding a room instantly.
I loved the past and the present chapters revealingly more and more of Arya and Christian’s intertwined past.
These two in the present however sizzle right off the page. I love it when a suited and booted bid falls is brought to his knees.
I’m looking forward to Arséne book too.
Received this book as an arc and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

Have you ever felt that a book is so good that you are not able to put into words everything it made you feel? That's exactly what usually happens to me with L.J. Shen's books and Ruthless Rival was definitely no exception. This book was so much more than I had expected, and I have been looking forward to it for so long, filling my head with theories, ideas, plots, EVERYTHING! And L.J. certainly didn't disappoint me with the end result.

Ruthless Rival is the first book in the Cruel Castaways series (can we talk about how awesome the name of this series is, please?), and it tells us the story between Arya Roth and Christian Miller, a story that is not born in the present but many years before, in the childhood of our protagonists. And if there is something we have to recognize to L.J. is the construction of characters that she does in each book; one can see in her words that her characters are not just information, but they live through the pages and overflow with characteristics that make them unique.

The whole story grabs you and you will find yourself wanting to know what is going to happen next, because the twists and uncertainties are so well done that you will be glued to your book trying to discover the truth and wanting to know how the characters are going to react to what is happening.

Arya and Nicky meet when they are very young, and both are on opposite sides of society, while Arya is the daughter of a very rich family, Nicky is the son of her housekeeper, and it is for that reason that both get to know each other. For some years they develop a friendship that gradually turns into something more, until something happens and both are separated, thus beginning this plot of intrigues and betrayals.

The book takes a leap in time and we are in the present of the characters, where Nicholai Ivanov, now Christian Miller, is a prestigious lawyer at one of the most important firms in the city and in pursuit of fulfilling his career goals he represents a woman who files a harassment suit against Arya's father. That second first meeting between the two is electrifying, and though Christian immediately recognizes Arya, Arya doesn't know who he is, though she conflicts with herself by being so deeply connected to the man who is willing to do whatever it takes to destroy her father. For Christian this is all about revenge, but as time goes on and he continues to bond with Arya, things change and his feelings are transformed.

Now, talking specifically about the interactions between Christian and Arya, I can only say that they are mind-blowing! The constant banter between them, the flirtations, the way they seek to tease each other but at the same time can't deny their feelings, how they support each other, how electrifying their chemistry is, as a reader you sense from the start that the two are destined to be together, no matter what obstacles stand in their way. Ruthless Rival presents us with a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers so well constructed, it makes you sigh countless times and melt in your seat as you read it.

Without giving too many spoilers, I can only say that the secondary characters in this book are everything and I can't wait to read more about them. I'm really holding back from talking about more but seriously, I can't wait for them.

L.J. Shen surprises us once again with a beautifully told story that is the perfect kick start to this new series. You won't regret reading it!

Well, I'm in a bit of a daze if I'm honest.
This book was absolutely perfect.
I don't know how to describe the dynamics going on. Friends (first crush/love) to enemies to lovers back to enemies.... my poor heart couldn't take much more! I got a bit teary at 'that' part. Then boy, did the happy tears come!
Christian-wow!! What a man.
Arya-i couldn't love her any more.
The whole group of friends are interesting and I'm so intrigued by what is next for this lot!
What a story Leigh,I loved it!!!
I'm excited for everyone else to read this book!

I enjoyed this story. It held my attention and kept me hooked the entire read. I felt myself wanting to know what would happen with these characters and I found myself intrigued by them throughout their journey.

That said, I didn't feel as much of a connection as I normally do with characters in L.J. Shen's books. I felt a little separated from them emotionally. I did find them to be complex and found myself wanting to know more about them, however.

As I said, that did not keep me from being intrigued. I definitely enjoyed reading this and I look forward to more from L.J. Shen. I am excited to see what she has in store for her readers next.

Can LJ Shen write anything bad? Perfection at its finest. I will be recommending this to my followers who are obsessed with romance.

I love LJ shen but this book needed more... something... I was reading it and I did enjoy it but I wish there was something more unique in a way???

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Cruel Castaways #1
Ruthless Rival

L.J. Shen

4.19
10,422 ratings940 reviews

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From Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the fine line between seeking revenge and finding love.

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and out of Arya’s life.

Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago.

Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

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Romance

Contemporary

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367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2022


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About the author
Profile Image for L.J. Shen.
L.J. Shen
39 books41.4k followers

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L.J. Shen is USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author of contemporary romance books. She lives in California with her husband, son and lazy cat.
When she's not writing, she enjoys reading a good book with a glass of wine and catching up on her favorite HBO and Netflix shows.

Yeah, she's a badass like that.

Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ http://goo.gl/FwfMzr
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Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
Instagram➜ https://www.instagram.com/authorljshen/

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Ratings & Reviews
My Review
Profile Image for Renee.
Renee
2,847 reviews · 34 followers

May 8, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper's son. Soo, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and our of Arya's life. Now two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father's good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago. Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

Once you start Ruthless Rival you are not going to be able to put it down. Christian is a guy who has grown up with a mom who is just horrible. I don't think the poor guy had any warm moments with his mom his entire life. When he was you his mother was the housekeeper for the Roth family. The very Elite Roth family. She would take a subway into Manhattan and bring Christian to work with her. You'd think that would be because she really cared about him and couldn't stand the thought of him being away from her, but you'd be wrong. She just is not a great mother at all, y'all. He has his instruction to never touch anything of the Roth's, given five dollars a day and basically send him on his way to do whatever. My heart really broke for Nikolai. But he's not not up to good things. He learns peoples lives and know who he can steal from and when, who will feed him and where he can take a nap. When he first meets Arya Roth he is doing just that, napping. From his place in the cemetery that he likes to take naps in he sees Arya one day talking to her dead brother's headstone. These are two people who never really should have been friends but it doesn't take long for that friendship to form and turn in to something more. However, one kiss when Arya dared him to do it is all it takes to turn his life upside down and gets him sent by Arya's father to a school far far away. Arya is never going to forgive her father for this either. Fast forward to years later and we see Nicolai now Christian Miller as a powerful hot shot attorney who is one the fast track to becoming partner. Things though just aren't happening fast enough and all the zeros in the world in his bank account do not matter anymore. But when a client comes to him he goes out of his negotiations and settlement route and sees this as the break he has been looking for that will prove his worth with the first and get him the revenge he has been waiting to get for many years now.
This book is so good. I couldn't put it down. I liked these characters and I loved that Arya didn't know who Christian was and that he was from her past. I don't want to go in to all the things I loved about this book because there are a lot and some of those would be spoilers. You just need to get it and read and enjoy the ride. I know that I sure did.

Ruthless Rival is my second book of the author L.J. Shen and she blew my mind once again.

Ruthless Rival was such an INTENSE second chance/ enemies-to-lovers love story.
OH MY GOODNESS!
PERFECTION! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT STORY!
I instantly fell in love with Arya and Christian!
Awwwww! THEIR CHEMISTRY! THE MOOD OF THE WHOLE STORY! ❤
Gaaaah! I'm getting goose bumps everywhere again even when I'm thinking about it! 😍

So Arya and Christian know each other since they were kids... but certain circumstances tore them apart. Now years later they meet again... and nothing's what it seemed.

Awwww! Secrets! Twists and turns! Drama! So much drama! Aaaand attraction! Chemistry! Feelings! Soooo many feelings!
Well I just loved this book and can't wait for more to come! 🥰
(Thank God Ruthless Rival is book one of L.J. Shen's new Cruel Castaways Series!)

Thanks a lot to Montlake and L.J. Shen for this early copy from Read Now via NetGalley.

Sorry for my belated review, but it's my honest one in my own words.

I’m so excited this is turning into a series!!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this and finished it in hours. Enemies to lovers is my favorite!!

Christian aka Nicky had every intention of plotting against Arya along with her father until he realizing he still loves her. This couple is super entertaining. Their first interaction in the present 🫣😮‍💨 I loved all the past and present chapters!!!

After years of being lied to, Ari realizes Christian is the one who got away. Nikolai to be exact. But that’s after she finds out he plotted against her to take her father down after what he did to him. Even though her father was found guilty, it still hurt. Christian quits his job for her!!! And he spends all his free time groveling.

Super excited for the next books

I started to read this book, but it just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy the hero dynamic or the dynamic with his friends. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Do you have authors that you will read boos from no matter what genre they are going for? I have quite a few, and L.J. Shen is one of them. The blurb of Ruthless Rival got me intrigued by the main characters and the thing from the past that was mentioned there. Buckle up! Time for a nice read!
I like the tope of the characters that knew each other in the past and then something happened breaking them apart - this is the case for Christian and Arya that were friends as children, and now they are strangers. Our male main character is the epitome of hard upbringing in his childhood was not one with smelling roses and posh. His back story is something that will make us root for him and his case. Christian got a new life and now he's out for the blood of those that have wronged him, and he will stop at nothing to get what we want.
Arya is a woman that had it easy in her childhood, but right now thanks to some events she's tough, independent and full of feistiness in her mind. She's also a hard worker, that still remembers the boy that she fell for as a girl - but what if this boy will come for her family and she won't be able to stop him, especially when he's a total stranger!
This book will be really good for the fans of a slow burn, like sometimes it was even too long on the part of the author when I'm considering it, and I love this trope, but here I felt that I would need something between characters to happen faster. I know it worked for the characters, but you know what I mean, right? I welcome you to the world of Christian and Arya.

4.5 stars

Nicholai is the son of an indifferent, sometimes hostile single mother. I won't call her a single mom because there are no warm and fuzzy moments. She is the housekeeper to the Roth's, one of the elite families. She takes the subway into Manhattan, bringing him with her. Not because she is concerned that she is away from him each day for far too long, but because she doesn't want to be financial liable for any trouble he might do. He is told to never touch anything of the Roth's. She gives him $5 each day and sends him on his way once they are off the subway. They meet up when she is done, hours later.

Nicholai learns to read the neighborhoods, who to steal from, who will feed him left overs, where to take a nap. It's the napping that leads to his first encounter with Arya Roth. He is catching a snooze at one of his favorite places, a cemetery, near one of the headstones, Arya is talking to her brother's grave. Their first convo is feisty and it doesn't take either one of them long to learn who the other is-she is the privileged Roth daughter, he is the son of their housekeeper. Neither has any business talking to the other, but they are kids and kids are fearless.

The become friendly and engage in a little puppy love. But one kiss on Nicholai's part will seal his fate. Arya's father sends him away to a school, far out of Arya's reach. What he tells her about Nicholai's whereabouts is unforgivable.

Years later, enter Christian Miller. Nicholai no longer exists and this hot shot lawyer, a master of negotiations has taken his place. He's on the fast track to become partner. Only it's not fast enough for him. Having a bank account with lots of zeros no longer interests him. He wants to be a partner at his firm. They want him to actually go to trial on a case, instead of doing what he is known best for (and feared by fellow attorneys) and settle out of court. When a potential client comes in he knows this is the break he is looking for- he will prove his worth to his firm and he will get what he craves most-revenge.

Ruthless Rival is a second chance romance for two kids, all grown up who never got the chance they deserved. Life has molded them in different ways, but each is strong and has their own moral compass and knows their limits. Christian has the advantage over Arya, she has no idea who he is. (which at first, I thought was a little strange, but there are reasons this works) She adores the man she thinks her father is, but there is a nagging little doubt there, in the back of her mind, that maybe things aren't quite what they seem.

Redemption is a recurring theme in this story. Some things are worth forgiveness and some things....well they simply can not be forgiven. Holding back forgiveness hurts the victim even more than the one who does the unforgivable. It saps them of energy and purpose and clarity. But sometimes, the truly contrite deserve another chance.

LJ Shen never fails to capture my attention and imagination with her books. The heroes are often the villains, the heroines often bring them to their knees. I just eat up her stories. This is the first in a new series. The next two are books about a couple of the characters in Christian's life who helped him to survive losing all he had. They are polar opposites and on the surface have few redeeming qualities. All I can say, is bring it on!

This slow burn second chance romance is nicely written within itself. I wasn't as engaged in the story as I could have been however and found it easy to put down, especially when it sort of lost the romance side and focused on the courtroom stuff and other characters. So it was just an okay read for me.

It was told partially in the present and the past and I enjoyed all the recalling of when Arya and Nicky were teens. When they were adults though and Nicky had morphed into Christian - not so much. There was a lot of internal narration and angst involving their families and many many lies. Also, I couldn't understand why Arya didn't immediately recognize her teen crush - if not the instant she saw him, then later when she had time to examine him carefully. She was told he was dead, but wouldn't she have least wondered - wow!! - he looks like Nicky, but his nose is different? Made me think of Clark Kent and Superman and those glasses. LOL.

My thanks goes to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in return for an honest opinion. I actually waited for release date and borrowed this book on Kindle Unlimited so I could also listen to the included audio, read by Stella Bloom and Joe Arden. As usual they did an excellent job at acting out the characters and they were the main reason I liked the book to start with. I switched to reading half way through and wasn't as engaged. I do intend to read more books by this author.

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre qui présente un nouvel univers crée par L.J Shen.
Quand j'ai reçu cet ARC, je voulais prendre mon temps pour le lire, le savourer mais
la plume de L.J Shen est tellement addictive qu'en moins d'une journée je l'ai terminé!
Si vous avez aimé ces autres sagas comme Sinners ou Boston Belles vous allez aimé Cruel Castaways!
On suit Christian Miller, un avocat de renom à New York, qui veut a tout prix avoir une promotion et intégrer à part en tiers le cabinet dans lequel il travaille. IL va donc accepter une affaire contre Cobrad Roth, qui n'est autre que le père d'Arya - notre héroïne.
L'attraction entre Christian et Arya est immédiate mais est-ce vraiment leur première rencontre?
Un jeu du chat et la souris va commencer entre deux et le passé va venir s'en mêler.
La relation entre Christian et Arya est très complexe, ils sont différents, têtus mais surtout ils ne veulent pas lâcher en premier.
Arya est une femme forte qui ne veut pas se faire marcher dessus.
La relation prend le temps de s'installer comme un slow burn.
J'ai adoré les personnages de Riggs et Arsene, qui apportent un vrai plus j'ai tellement hâte d'avoir leur histoire !
En bref, J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre qui soulève des thèmes importants comme les relations intra-familiales, le harcèlement, le premier amour mais aussi le pardon. L.J Shen a encore réussi son pari de créer des personnages complexes, drôles mais très attachants

Omg I devoured this book!!!! So good. Haha to the publisher for the ARC.
I highly recommend this book!

Vicious Vibes ❤

"Ruthless Rival" is the first book of the Cruel Castaway series by L.J Shen and tells the story of Arya and Christian.

Overall, I quite liked the story of Arya and Christian. At the beginning of the story I had nice Vicious vibes and since Vicious is my absolute favorite Shen I was accordingly happy!

But unfortunately the plot has a few weak points. For the fact that "Ruthless Rival" is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers story, this aspect is unfortunately quite underwhelming. In addition, points were raised again and again, but then not taken up further. And the revenge plot, which is the central element of the story here, is unfortunately very lame.

Arya has an absolutely distorted view of the world, or at least of her father. I had the feeling that the young Arya just could not or would not commit. Does she hate her father? Is he a bad person? Does she know him at all? Also, she is a person who shits on consequences. I don't like the personality of the protagonist. She is very arrogant and full of herself.

I like Christian much better. As I said above, he reminds me a lot of Vicious. Driven by revenge, successful and cold. You know where you stand with him. What I found a bit unfortunate is that he became quite soft over the course of the story and there wasn't much left of the merciless lawyer.

Overall, I really liked the story with its hot scenes and the hefty punching and give the story 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This story was about second chances, misunderstandings and love.
It was a solid story from the author but I was hoping for a little more. If you haven’t read anything else from the author then I would say that this book was good but because I’ve read a lot more from the author…. I was expecting more.
I actually loved the fmc but I thought the mmc was a little lacking? There wasn’t much to him and I feel as if the author could have done more with him.
That being said, I still binged the book and was sad for it to end.